I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.
Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.
Ethnography by Kristine Camia
“Pupunta ako ng Quaipo bukas,” I told my brother. “Ok lang ba’ng pumunta doon mag-isa?”
“Ok lang naman. Ilagay mo na lang an pera mo sa bulsa mo. Maglagay ka ang pera sa lahat ng bulsa mo para kung manakawan ka, may pera ka pa rin,” he answered.
“Ok...,” I said while thinking to myself, “Ganoon ba ka-delikado ang Quaipo?”
Technically, this trip to Quaipo is not my first. I was able to stop and visit the church for a while with my classmates some years ago. But this is the first time I was able to look around the area.
It was already one o’clock in the afternoon when I arrived in the church. I did not know that it was the Quaipo Day that day so I was really surprise to see thousands of people in the church. The inside of the church was already full of people so I had to stay outside, near the entrance, so I can hear the mass. While I was there I was able to see the people coming in and out of the church. It was really fascinating. People of different ages, occupations, sex and status were in the place. I saw many students and workers still in their uniform attending the mass. I saw very young kids with their parents or grandparents entertaining themselves while their companions listen to the mass. There were also people who are wearing some fancy clothes who obviously came from wealthy backgrounds. And there were also some differently-abled people in the church trying to find a good spot in the church full of devotees.
After some minutes, finally I was able to get inside the church. And the view was even more fascinating. There were about 2,500 people inside the building that time. It’s really amazing how diverse the devotees of the Black Nazarene are. The attention of the most of the people was focused on the priest and the mass while some were occupied with praying their rosary or praying while holding a prayer book.
As much as I want to participate in the mass, I couldn’t help myself from observing and making some comments on what was happening around me. Seeing all the devotees awakened my spirituality. Seeing how devoted reaffirmed my belief that indeed there is a higher, greater power running the universe and the lives of the creature inside it. The devotees were examples of how that higher, greater power changed their lives in ways that even science cannot explain. It was just amazing how He was able to bring all these people together. There were so many people that time but it was so serene. This may sound a bit melodramatic but I was touched by the genuine devotion of the people and it was the first time.
Then I asked myself, “Does it really matter where we pray? Do we really have to devote ourselves to one single patron for our wishes to come true? Is there is hierarchy between churches?” These were the questions that sprang up in my mind while I was inside the church. I am not a devout Catholic. I don’t go to the church every Sunday. I don’t pray the rosary and I haven’t even read the Bible yet so I really can’t answer these questions. But I will let them remain unanswered not because no one can answer them but because finding the answer is like questioning the devotions of the people inside the church that day.
I was enjoying the serenity and the holiness of the moment when the priest asked everyone to join him in a special prayer. It was a prayer for a special wish. I bowed my head and prepared to pray. After some moments, he mentioned the RH Bill. The moment the priest mentioned RH Bill, all the serenity and spirituality I was feeling earlier melted quickly. It was like waking up from a wonderful dream. While he was praying for the Church’s wish for RH Bill not to be passed, I started to remember the reason why I don’t go to the church. It’s because I don’t like the Church as an institution. I don’t like them meddling with political issues. Simply put, that RH Bill prayer burst my serenity bubble.
After the mass, the priest went around the church to bless the rosaries and other religious items of the devotees with holy water. At that moment, the devotees started to flock to the area where the priest was with their hands, rosaries, prayer books and other religious items raised. That’s when I decided to leave the church. Even though it was difficult, I made my way through the thick people and exited in the church’s main door. There were so many people so I just let myself be carried by the wave of the people trying to go out of the church.
Knowing His plans for me
Outside the church, a different place welcomed me. It was a marketplace. In front of me were vendors selling products like suman, daing, grapes, mangoes, toys, balloons etc. On my left were the people selling candles, sampaguita, Nazareno items etc. And on my right were the fortune tellers and the people selling flowers, herbal medicines and amulets. The place was full of life. Seeing the vigor in the place was really fun. Since Quaipo is really famous for their fortune telling, I went to the row of the fortune tellers and asked one of them to tell me what my future looks like. I want to know His plans for me. I decided to seat in front of Manang Maria Dilla. She said she’s been there for almost forty years already. She told me that she has psychic powers and she even predicted that Manny Pacquiao will be a champion. This is how our conversation went:
Manang Maria: Ano’ng gusto mong malaman?
Me: Wala naman po. Gusto ko lang malaman ang hinaharap ko.
Manang Maria: May problema ka ngayon. May hinaharap kang malaking problema ngayon. Tama ako?
Me: (nod) Opo. (Lahat naman ng tao may problema ah. Sino ba’ng wala?)
Manang Maria; (after wiping her wet tarot cards) Kuha ka.
Me: Ilan po?
Mang Maria: Isa. O sige tatlo na.
Manang Maria: Ayan. ‘Wag mo ilalabas pera mo. Pag nakita ng tao pera mo, mangungutang sila sayo. Pag di mo sila binigyan, magagalit pa sila sayo. Ayan. Minamalas ka ngayon. May salot sa buhay mo. May sumumpa sa’yo.
Me: Po? (Mukang tumatama si Manang ah.)
Manang Maria: Minamalas ka. Bili ka nitong anting ko. Isang libo. Ilagay mo sa cabinet mo. Mawawala malas mo.
Me: Isang libo po? Ang mahal naman po! Estudyante pa lang po ako.
Manang Maria: Kelan ka ba babalik dito. Gagawan kita ng anting.
Me: (Gusto ko nang umalis) Di ko po alam eh. Baka di na po ako makabalik.
Manang Maria: Magsikap ka. Mataliko ka. Wala ka pang asenso ngayong taon. Apat, limang taon, successful ka na. Wag ka muna pupunta sa ibang bansa. Wag ka pupunta sa Middle East. Dun sa Egypt at sa… saan ba yun…
Me: Libya po? (Nagbabasa ng balita si Manang)
Manang Maria: Oo! Sa Libya. Ay ngayon nagkaka-problema kayo ng boyfriend mo.
Me: (Kumunot ang noo)
Manang Maria: May boyfriend ka ba?
Me: Wala nga po e.
Manang Maria: Basta magsikap ka lang. Ipanalangin mo sa kanya. (Turo sa Simbahan)
Me: Ah okay po. Sige po. Salamat po.
I gave her a hundred pesos before I left. She said that’s too small because they have to pay for the rent. Fortunately, that’s the only money I have. My friends told me it’s too big for a ten minute session, but I just treated it as a help for Manang. She’s an old woman already. From the very beginning of our session, I already know that Manang Maria was bluffing. And her comments just proved that. I guess no one can really say what He is planning for you.
And there were many fortune tellers like her. But there were some fortune tellers that don’t fit my image of a fortune teller. Some of them we’re middle aged men and women wearing casual clothes. No matter how I look at them, their look just don’t scream fortune teller to me.
After buying a bunch of suman Antipolo, I left the Quaipo area. It was a tiring afternoon for me. But it was fun at the same time. Going to Quaipo made me see a place that is different from what I’m used to. It made me realize that there is still so much to discover in this country, so many food t try and so many kinds of people to meet. And my Quaipo trip proved that indeed, we have a very rich and a very fascinating culture.
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